


The Way Forever Bleeds

by Oaklin



Series: Forever Everything [3]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Kevin forgot the ice, M/M, Other, but not by much so m/m again, eddy doesn't have a tag yet., june-ish 2003 hijinx that apparently never end, less UST this time, mild swearing as usual, obligatory Kevin Steen warning, poor bby, so its like a deleted scene i guess, takes place after the hug in part two of this series, terrible first aid, you know why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:10:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7342243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oaklin/pseuds/Oaklin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sami just wants to buy some freaking band-aides and ice his back. Is that too much to ask?</p><p>Deleted scene that takes place immediately after the hug in The Way Forever Hurts so if you are confused ...reading either one will just make you more confused. Probably.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way Forever Bleeds

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! So this is a thing. A kinda boring thing if I'm honest. I have zero idea why this idea kept nagging me, because its rather lack luster. I was gonna scrap it, but I figured someone somewhere might get a kick out of this foolishness. I didn't want to post it after the next one shot in the series because I don't really want them posted out of order. So you get this early because I have an hour to spare and I figured I'd use it to dick around with these two confused jerks.
> 
> Oh, also, I know (SeXXy) Eddy took off like a year around the time this takes place (June-ish 2003) with his torn EVERYTHING shoulder but just bear with me please? He just kinda popped up and I figure Steen's not one to make new friends so people he already knows are the only ones he really interacts with if he can help it.
> 
> I'll shut up and let you read now.

Sami squinted at the scribbled list, making a mental note to wash his hands after he got done here. He still had blood and saw dust sticking to his fingers, though it was hard to see in the dim lights of the gas station. He moved over until he was standing directly under the overhead light, shopping basket bumping his legs as he shuffled around the narrow aisles. Holding the old repurposed flier up to the light, Sami blinked until his tired eyes drew Kevin’s elegant scrawl into focus.

Scooting further down the aisle Sami scanned the shelves, moving around stacks of boxes and display racks as he went, trying not to tip anything over. Leaning around precariously piled heaps of chips, Sami reached an arm cautiously forward, snagging a box of off brand band-aides. Tossing the box into his basket, Sami drew the pen out of his mouth and scratched a messy line on the back of the flier.

“Alright, thats pain killers, peroxide, gauze, ointment and band-aides. Now I just need,” Sami licks his lips, squinting at the paper in his hands.

“Man, the lighting in here is the worst. Don’t you people ever change the light bulbs?”

There was no answer, not that he thought there would be. Sami had yet to see any of the employees since he entered the store some ten minutes ago. Sami had thought maybe they were closed and had stopped in the door way, leaning back outside to reconfirm that the sign on the door did indeed say twenty four hours.

There was still no one in sight, no other customers, no one at the cash register, no one outside pumping gas.

No one stocking the many, many stacks of merchandise just sitting on the floor in the aisles.

Sami even leaned around the shelves to peak through what he assumed was the stock room door at the back of the store. There was no sign of anyone back there, not even smoke to signify a cigarette break. Shrugging, Sami hobbled down the aisle, wincing slightly at his back. The high from earlier had almost completely run its course and the pain was more pronounced now that the adrenaline had worn off. The tiny pin pricks that Sami knew were splinters were a constant nagging pain and his spine was screaming with every step he took.

Sami wished he could safely move faster among the tightly packed aisles. He wanted to get some ice and relax before his back locked up any more than it already was.

Pulling in a sharp breath, Sami surveyed the mess before him, biting his lip and trying not to angrily curse his bad luck. Or the apparently non-existent employees of this freaking store, he couldn’t decide.

Blocking his path down the aisle, hidden at first by a stack of boxes, was some kind of stock cart, pulled sideways between the shelves. The obstruction completely barred him from moving further down the row, Sami not wanting to risk trying to squeeze into the few inches of space it left. Aggravating all the more because he could see the tiny section of beauty supplies beyond the cart. Sami was so close to the last thing he needed but was being thwarted at every turn.

Grimacing, Sami turned, stiff back protesting loudly. Limping back around the way he came, back shrieking all the way, Sami dodged boxes and swaying display racks the best he could, mumbling heated, petty insults the whole way.

“Seriously? Of all the damn gas stations in this hick town we had to end up at the abandoned one. I bet the employees here are like, out back, giving themselves lung cancer while I’m gimping around in here trying not to trip over their hilariously incompetent attempts at re-stocking the freaking shelves-” Sami bit off his mumbling to concentrate on avoiding a display rack. Scooting backwards, Sami winces when his sore shoulder bumps into a box, flinching just enough to make the basket in his hand swing outward before he can reel his arm back in.

“Oh sh-”

Too late Sami realizes what he has done and he pulls his arm in, hobbling backwards. Unfortunately that only makes the situation worse, as the stack of boxes he sent teetering with the basket crash to the floor around him and the shelf behind shudders, making several precariously balanced racks fall to the floor. Like a scene from a nightmare, the domino effect ripples down the aisle, various boxes and display racks crashing to the floor before Sami’s horrified eyes.

It stops finally, the last few chip bags sliding slowly to the tile floor as if mocking him. Sami stared around at the mess, then down at the shopping basket in his hands.

“It was’nt even that big of a deal I was just-” Sami ran trembling fingers through his hair, tears of frustration beginning to form at the corners of his eyes. Sami drew in what he hoped was a steadying breath, trying to will the tears away.

"Its just because my back hurts," he tells himself, followed by a poignant throb of his spine in response, as if to prove the point.

“Its fine. I’m just a little on edge. Tonight was stressful and great and painful and amazing and I just need to get the stuff and get the hell out of here,” Sami bites his lip, realizing what he really wants.

“Fuck I wish Kevin was here,” Sami looks around at the wreckage, “At least he would fill the silence with making fun of me for being a klutz.”

Sighing in resignation, Sami began picking his way across the product strew mess, almost missing his saving grace by a few steps. A smile jumps to his lips as he realizes the cascade of boxes pushed the cart previously blocking his way further down the aisle and to the side. It left just enough room for him to squeeze by.

Which he does very carefully, keeping all his limbs pressed tight to his body, scooting slowly around the wreckage. Staggering past the cart, he drags his sore, tired body to the grooming section of the aisle, reaching forward with hope in his eyes.

Almost done, he was almost done then he could leave this accursed place, “Okay so I only need one and then-”

“Hey can I- Oh my GOD!”

Sami’s head snaps up at the sudden voice, hand falling back to his side in his alarm. The previously missing employee is standing in the stockroom door, his eyes wide as he stares at Sami.

An uncomfortably long moment of silence stretches on between them until Sami clears his throat, anxious under the open mouthed scrutiny.

What did he do wrong? Well, beside destroy the store, but the employee hadn’t even looked out at the mess yet. His eyes firmly planted in horror on Sami.

“Uh, hello? Um, hi. I’m Sami. Nice to finally meet someone who works here.”

The clerk continues to stare at Sami, blinking and now looking him up and down. Sami shuffles a bit, nervous and a bit put out by the other mans deathly silence.

“I’m really sorry about the mess. My back is in pretty bad shape so-”

The guy spins on his heel, completely ignoring Sami’s blathering to scurry back into the stockroom.

Sami stands in place an stares at the empty space blankly for a minute before letting out an exasperated sigh. Before he can turn back to the task at hand however, the man comes back.

“Whoa, what the hell happened to you!” exclaims the angry looking woman being pulled along by the first employee. She takes a step toward Sami but pauses, looking back over her shoulder at the first guy.

Before Sami can even open his mouth to ask what the matter is - _what is going on?_ \- another guy comes out of the back, this one taller and more muscly than the first.

“Holy shit you were not kidding. Who fucked you up kid?” Tall Guy exclaims in surprise upon seeing Sami.

Sami starts to stammer out an answer (though he’s still not really sure what their deal is) but First Guy gives Tall Guy a sharp slap that has Tall Guy clutching his head and shooting First Guy a wounded look.

First guy seems unimpressed with Tall Guys puppy dog face, “Could you seriously think about the shit you say for just a damn minute please? Jesus christ.”

Tall Guy shoots Sami and apologetic look, “Right sorry. But seriously, are you okay? Need us to uh, call somebody for you?”

Sami blinks, his aching brain not prepared for complicated questions requiring complicated answers like that.

“I’m ...good. I’m great actually but thats ... never mind. And thank you, but I don’t need you to call anyone for me I have my cell on me.”

First Guy is looking at Sami like he is a wild animal that will bolt out of the store at any moment.

Do they think Sami is here to steal? If they were worried about theft why did they leave the front unattended for so long? What was going on?

“Well, at east they were nice enough to leave you your phone. Do you wanna wait here for the police?” asks First Guy, taking a few tentative steps toward Sami.

Well, that explains that at least, “No no, I have money don’t worry. I mean, not much but enough to pay for what I have,” Sami feels his harried emotions start to rise at the new possible road block and tries to push them down, ignoring the prickling in his eyes.

“Please I just really need to get out of here and-”

“Hey hey, no!” says Angry Woman, coming forward a bit and giving him a tight, forced smile, “You are not in trouble okay? No one is mad at you and you haven’t done anything wrong. You are safe here.”

Before Sami can process that - _what is going **on**?_ \- Tall Guy chimes in.

“Yeah dude, its cool. Buy whatever you need. But listen, you should really forget about that and just go to the hospital you know?"

Sami drew his basket closer, not comfortable with how close they were getting. He was too anxious for this right now and he ached for Kevin to burst in the door and bitch him out for taking so long.

Just anything to make this less unnerving

“I don’t need to go to the hospital, its not that bad. Kevin did drop me a little harder than necessary but other than my back locking up and the splinters I’m fine,” Sami jiggles the shopping basket slightly, “And I have stuff to take care of that so. Yeah.”

“Right,” Angry Woman says, shooting the other two quick looks before licking her lips and stepping toward him a bit more, “But you know that is not okay, right? That he hurts you?”

Sami stares at her, a sense of dread filing him. What? Kevin didn’t really hurt him (well okay, technically he did but not badly and not on purpose) but they seemed under the impression that Kevin had -what? Beat him up?

Oh. Oh they thought- oh _no_.

“That is not-” Sami starts but First Guy comes forward, hands out stretched like Sami is a skittish wild animal.

“Its alright. I know it can be hard to take that first step but you are stronger than your dependency on him. He doesn’t love you if he hurts you and you deserve better,” First Guy says, smiling gently at him.

Sami rubs a hand across his forehead, the dread rolling over into exasperation. How had they even come to the conclusion that Kevin and he were in an abusive relationship? For that matter why did they think he and Kevin were...

Fighting the blush rising to his cheeks, Sami clenched his teeth, “You aren’t listening to me-”

Tall Guy cuts him off, “We are. We’re right here if you need us. I can fend him off if you need until the cops get here. I can take him, don’t worry. I used to defend the young nerdy kids in middle school.”

Sami bites his lip to keep from laughing at that and telling Tall Guy exactly what would happen if Kevin showed up and figured out what they thought was going on. There would be no “fending” Kevin off.

Oh wait. **Crap**. Kevin could not get here before Sami cleared this misunderstanding up.

Sami lurches forward, panic overriding his pain avoidance instincts for a moment, “Okay, seriously, you need to listen to me for a minute. Kevin isn’t abusing me. We’re not even together-” Sami feels his face heat up at the word, “like uh, like that. We’re not a couple. So.”

Not-so-angry-anymore woman gives him a reassuring smile, “I’m sure sweetie. Listen, its okay. I can tell if someone is completely love struck the moment I see them. No need to be ashamed,” she comes over and cups his hand in hers, “We all fall hard at one point or another-”

Sami pulls his hand from her grip, beyond exasperated now and far too embarrassed to listen to another minute of this, “Okay. No. Stop it. You have literally everything wrong and all you are doing is delaying my back getting some relief so can you just-”

“What the hell is taking so goddamn long Sami?”

Shit.

Everyone in the room turned as the front door creaked open, the little bell on the handle jingling merrily.

“Oh fuck me,” mumbled Sami, running a hand down his face as the employees began circling him, no doubt trying to protect him from Kevin’s “abuse”.

Ridiculous. Could tonight get any more dramatic?

Kevin pauses in the doorway, pizza box on one arm, car keys dangling from his fingers. His dark eyes survey the room slowly, taking in each unhappy employee before landing on Sami, eyebrow raised in question.

Sami scoots around Now-Very-Angry Woman in front of him and dodges First Guys attempt to pull him back, internally cringing at the way Kevin watches each motion like a hawk. The look in Kevin’s eyes gets steadily darker as Sami moves away from the clerks and Sami really just wants to leave before anyone gets arrested over such a dumb misunderstanding.

“Sorry Kev, I kinda made a mess of the place and I’ve been favoring my back so I was moving slow,” Sami babbles, feeling immeasurably better now that Kevin was here but also worried about what the well meaning - _busybody gas-lighters_ \- employees would do now.

Kevin meets him halfway down the aisle, striding forward, his eyes firmly trained on the clerks behind Sami. When they reach each other Kevin tears his eyes away and gives Sami a once over, the hand not steadying the pizza grasping at Sami’s hip before resting across the small of his back, pulling them close togehter as Kevin looks him over carefully.

“You okay?” Kevin asks, voice a bizarre combination of concern and palpable rage. Sami leans into the touch, Kevin’s presence making it easier to breath and think properly. Now all he had to do was keep everyone calm and get out of this stupid gas station.

“I’m fine Kevin. Me and the cashiers just had a bit of a misunderstanding about why, uh, why I’m a little banged up and they somehow got the impression- you know what, it doesn’t matter,” Sami cuts himself off, realizing he doesn’t actually have a cover story and wishing his brain would be more cooperative, “Anyway, if we could just get rung up and get out of their hair-”

Sami looks back at the clerks and jerks his head pointedly at the cash register, but they are all still by the stock room door, looking between him and Kevin in what appears to be puzzlement.

Sami bites his lip and waits, but they just continued to stare, looking more and more confused by the minute.

Sami was 1000% done with every damn thing in this gas station.

“We’re wrestlers,” Sami snaps, his irritation getting the better of him before he can reign it in. He glares at them even as Kevin stiffens behind him and _shit_ -

“Wait, so they thought you were hurt not because you’re a wrestler but because someone ... ** _me_ -**”

Sami steps in front of Kevin as the other man curls his lip into a snarl, protective anger (that Sami would take the time to appreciate later, though he does feel warm fondness creep up his chest) coming off him in waves. Sami tucks a shoulder against Kevin’s sternum and gives him an insistent head-butt.

“Listen, they’re just dumb kids working the graveyard shift at a shitty gas station on a Saturday morning. Can we just forget this-”

“Oh come on, thats one step above ‘so I just fell down the stairs is all’. No one would believe a fatass like him and a scrawny twink like you are wrestlers jesus christ-”

“Jan!” chastised the First Guy, looking at Rude Woman in horror.

Sami ground his teeth together to keep from saying anything that would make this situation even worse - _is that even possible?_ \- and focused on pushing his shoulder firmly into Kevin’s chest. Kevin looked downright murderous at this point and Sami was honestly worried about his ability to maintain a proper grip on the pizza box on his arm.

“Are you seriously buying this crap?” Rude Woman snapped at First Guy, giving him an unimpressed look.

First Guy threw up his hands, “I don’t even know. None of this makes any sense and I kinda just want them to leave because that big guy is way scarier than I imagined-”

Sami could not help the bark of a laugh that escaped him, “Not gonna “fend him off”? Aw, my knights in shining armor aren’t quite as brave as they thought they were I see.”

Tall Guy pipes up, sounding faintly indignant, “Hey, you didn’t say you were dating a grizzly bear-”

“ **Not dating** ,” interjects Sami a bit too loudly. He just knows his face is crimson at this point and really wishes that they would stop implying that he and Kevin were ... **together** -together.

The exchange seems to short circuit Kevin’s brain and Sami falters against Kevin’s chest as the other man abruptly stops straining forward. Kevin rears back a bit to stare unblinkingly at Tall Guy, who withers a bit under the intense scrutiny.

Before anyone else can move however, the front door jingles merrily again, making them all turn to stare at the newcomer. Eddy comes through the door way, closing the door with his foot and looking up from his phone, mouth opening as if to speak before closing again. He stares form one person to another, looking progressively more confused. His eyebrow inches up as he takes them all in, until he locks eyes with Sami, befuddlement on his face.

Sami has exactly zero idea how to explain this mess to Eddy.

He shrugs helplessly, rolling his eyes back at the cashiers, letting some of his annoyance with them through. Eddy’s eyes travel from Sami to Kevin, taking in the heavyset wrestlers tense posture.

“You guys on your way somewhere quiet to wind down?” Eddy asks, putting his phone in his pocket slowly as if any quick move would cost him his life.

Which considering the drama already, wouldn’t shock Sami.

Sami nudges Kevin a bit, “Yeah. Kevin apparently splurged.”

Eddy chuckled, some of the tension leaving him, rubbing a hand over his injured shoulder, “I see that. He did throw you through three tables. I think he owes you pizza. I mean, I’d demand a blow job, but pizza is a nice consolation prize I guess.”

Sami laughs softly, trying not to cry with joy as Kevin relaxes beside him and rightens the pizza in his arms, settling it strait across his forearm to keep it level. If Kevin was worried about the pizza it meant he wouldn’t murder the clerks.

“The tables weren’t that bad. If it had been a stack of ladders maybe a more groveling apology would be necessary. I hate going through those,” Sami says easing back from Kevin, letting him have some personal space.

“Hey! You threw me through a ladder last week! Wheres my fellatio asshole?” Kevin said indignantly, turning and getting right back in Sami’s space.

“Not the same. I bruise easier than you. Also, you always say I’m more delicate than you, meaning its worse for you to throw me into things than it is for me to throw you through things,” quipped Sami, walking away from Kevin to plop his items down on the checkout counter.

Kevin huffed loudly, following close behind him, “I hit my head on the concrete!”

“You have a hard head,” replied Sami, recounting his total as he pulls out his wallet.

Kevin throws one hand up in exasperation, shooting Eddy a distinct ‘see what I have to put up with’ look, “Oh I see how it is-”

“Wait, so you guys are actually-” Rude Woman looks thoroughly shocked, “...for real?”

Sami shoots the cashiers a pointed look, “I’ve been waiting a while. Can one of you ring me up please?”

“Uh, yeah. Yes,” First Guy starts picking his way across the store as Tall Guy and Rude Woman begin conversing in harsh, rapid fire whispers, shooting Eddy, Sami and Kevin suspicious looks.

Eddy looks at Kevin, one eyebrow raised in question but Kevin just shrugs, rolling his eyes.

Sami taps his fingers impatiently on the counter as the First Guy rings him up, the cashier refusing to make eye contact and staring determinedly at the items as he scans them.

Eddy wanders off, rolling his shoulders as he moseyed around the beer coolers, raising an arm in goodbye when Sami and Kevin tell him to call them next week before they meet up in Philly.

Sami snatches the thin plastic bag off the counter and grabs the arm not occupied with pizza, jerking Kevin out of the building as quickly as he can. Dropping down in the passenger seat in exhausted triumph, Sami leans forward, resting his head on the dash as they pull out of the parking lot and head down the road.

Kevin balances the pizza box on Sami’s back and he grumbles at the burning heat hitting his abused skin, shifting.

“Hey, you mess that pizza up I’m not buying you another one. Be still,” snaps Kevin, not taking his eyes off the road as he steadies the box across Sami’s spine. Sami stills, grimacing at the uncomfortable heat but unwilling to let fresh pizza go to waste. They haven’t splurged for anything in a while, so a treat is appreciated.

“Thank you Kevin,” Sami mumbles into the sticky dashboard, glancing furtively at his dearest friend, fondness making it hard to breath for a heartbeat. Kevin doesn’t say anything or look at him but he does reach over, giving Sami a rough pat on the ribs, his thick, calloused fingers carefully avoiding Sami’s bruises. Sami feels his face heat at the unexpected tenderness and hurriedly begins digging through the gas station bag to distract himself. He shuffles through the contents as they park down a deserted side street, stopping under a single dingy security light in what appears to be some kind of lookout.

Kevin takes the pizza box and hops out, setting it on the roof as Sami staggers out of the car, dumping the contents of the bag on the hood with a frustrated groan.

“What?” Kevin inquires, coming to stand bedside him, looking the supplies over.

Sami drops his head on Kevin’s shoulder and lets out an unhappy whine.

“I forgot the goddamn tweezers.”

Kevin blinks down at the band-aides and gauze.

“You uh- you wanna go ba-”

“No. No I do not want to back to that place. Ever.” Sami snaps, snatching up the peroxide and handing it to Kevin, “If I never have to go back to that stupid freaking gas station I’ll be a happy guy.”

Kevin gives him a skeptical look, eyeing the bottle in his hands dubiously, “Sami, that means I’m going to have to pull them out by hand-”

“Yeah yeah, I know. The little ones‘ll fall out later by themselves. Just get the big splinters, pour disinfectant on the whole thing and slap some band-aides on. I’m not going back to that damn gas station.”

Kevin lets out a long suffering sigh, unscrewing the peroxide and pulling the seal tab off, “You are so lucky I threw you perfectly so that most of the splinters are in your shoulders. Otherwise this would be even more of a hassle,” he gripes, pouring an excessive amount of peroxide over Sami’s shoulder blades.

Sami clenches his fists on the hood of the car as Kevin pours peroxide over his own hands before setting the bottle down and leaning over him to inspect the tiny chips of wood embedded in Sami’s skin.

“Hope you don’t mind blood,” Sami mumbles as Kevin’s rough fingers prod painfully at what feels like a rather large piece of table sunken into his left shoulder blade.

Kevin makes a somewhat strangles noise in response that tapers off into actual words at the end.

“ ...not yours.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really need to get this whole foreshadowing thing under control. It just sorta happens and I don't even realize until editing that what I just wrote has some really unfortunate echoes in current day. 
> 
> Oh well. This was supposed to go on longer but they just kinda shut up after that last line and I couldn't get anything more to flow properly so ... no blood play for us I guess.
> 
> I didn't mean to tease you I swear. That being said, Kevin did forget to buy ice in his haste to surprise Sami with apology pizza-
> 
> I mean, I-did-nothing-wrong-and-I'm-not-sorry-for-the-notwrong-thing-I-didn't-do pizza. Anyway, the point is, there may be more wacky hijinx from this one damn night. I'm pretty sure if I can make Sami buying Bacitracin into a 4000 word car wreck, I can find something to write about in Kevin and Sami stealing ice from a bar.


End file.
